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Do All Visa Infinite Cards Offer the Same Privileges?

No, they don't. In August 2016, Chase released the revamped version of the Ritz-Carlton Card as a Visa Infinite card, featuring an increased signup offer, improved lounge access, a $100 discount on select domestic airfares, and an updated list of travel protection benefits.

When word leaked that Chase was to unveil another Visa Infinite card, there was plenty of speculation and anticipation that the benefits would line up with those on the Ritz-Carlton Card, but it wasn’t to be. While the Sapphire Reserve received a superior travel credit redeemable for any travel expense as opposed to the airline incidentals credit on the Ritz-Carlton Card, it missed out entirely on the $100 domestic airline ticket discount.

A closer look at U.S.-issued Visa Infinite cards reveals differences in the advertised benefits such as travel credits and airline discounts, and also no mention of additional perks listed on the Visa Infinite website.

Visa Infinite Privileges

Something to note about Visa Infinite privileges is that each provider applies the benefits differently. Just because the benefit is listed on the Visa Infinite website, and Visa makes it available, doesn’t mean the card issuer includes it in the card’s perks or applies the benefit how it is listed on Visa’s website.

An example of this in practice is the annual airline incidentals credit.

The Sapphire Reserve offers a $300 travel credit, redeemable for almost any travel expense including taxis, Uber, tolls, or airline tickets, and credits are automatically applied when Chase detects a travel charge.

The Ritz-Carlton Card offers the same $300 credit, but it only covers airline incidentals such as baggage fees and seat upgrades, and you must call to have the credit applied to that specific charge.

The Crystal® Visa Infinite® Credit Card from City National Bank receives a $250 credit, only valid for airline incidentals, and restricted to U.S. domestic carriers. Significant differences in the way this benefit is applied to each Visa Infinite credit card.

Visa Inﬁnite Concierge Services

Similar to concierge services offered on other premium cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express and the Citi Prestige® Card. The Visa Infinite concierge can help you with a wide range of activities such as making reservations at local restaurants and spas, finding hard to get theatre tickets, organizing flowers, or even arranging to have your car serviced. The concierge will charge the bill to the card associated with the concierge service you’re using, but you receive the concierge’s services free of charge, and they’re available 24/7 every day of the year.

Global Entry Statement Credit

Global Entry is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program providing expedited security clearance for pre-approved travelers upon arrival in the United States at select airports via automatic kiosks. Global Entry automatically grants TSA Pre✓. Every U.S. issued Visa Infinite we’ve encountered offers a $100 Global Entry/TSA Pre✓ credit every four years, just charge the Global Entry fee to your card and have the charge reimbursed as a statement credit.

Tip: The Global Entry application does not need to be for the cardmember; you can use the credit for any friend/family member. Simply charge the application fee to your credit card and the fee will be reimbursed.

Visa Infinite Discount Airline Tickets

The Visa Infinite Discount Air Benefit saves you $100 on the total cost of between 2 and 5 qualifying round-trips, domestic coach airline tickets purchases on the same itinerary. The $100 discount is applied to the total cost of the itinerary, not per ticket. One of the few benefits that differ drastically between cards, both the Ritz-Carlton Card and the Citi National Visa Infinite receive the Discount Air benefit, while the Sapphire Reserve and the UBS Visa Infinite do not.

Airline Incidentals Statement Credit

Another benefit that differs widely, not just between the providers but the benefit is applied differently on individual cards from the same provider.

Discount Golf

If golf is your game, then this benefit will come in handy. Join Troon Rewards and use your Visa Infinite card to reserve tee times at participating Troon Privé private clubs for $99 per player per round. You can guest up to three guests at the same rate on each tee time, and play each course twice per year. You’ll also receive Silver status in the Troon Rewards program, or the next level up if you already hold Silver status.

Visa Inﬁnite Chauﬀeured Car Service

Final Thoughts

This list doesn’t include details on the many Visa Infinite travel protections we’ve covered extensively in previous posts. Instead, we wanted to cover the privileges the Visa Infinite family of credit cards offer, and link to some less well know benefits you may not be aware existed.

Some of these benefits are big-ticket benefits, advertised on the application page for U.S.-issued Visa Infinite cards. While others are niche benefits that you may not know at all. It’s important to remember – not all Visa Infinite benefits are applied to cards the same way, and some are missing from select cards altogether. Check the relevant benefits guide to see what is included with your Visa Infinite card.

Had any experience using the Visa Infinite privileges that you’d like to share? Get in touch via the comments below.

Visa Infinite Privileges – What They Are and How to Access Them

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Nuno, sorry you feel that way. I hope you’ll continue to receive value from the information we receive, but with credit cards and their benefits being a significant part of the points and travel experience for the U.S. we’ll continue to cover them extensively. Honestly, we haven’t changed our approach at all in the past 18 months.

I’m the idiot who signed up for TSA Precheck and NOT Global Entry, not knowing the former was included in the latter. I thought Precheck was more valuable because since my wife wouldn’t have Global Entry, we would end up on separate lines at immigration (at least with PreCheck it’s only on entry and the difference isn’t as big)

So Visa Infinite is almost more like a category of cards? A type of card? Proud CSR member interested in learning about other great, similar cards, but if there’s a huge overlap, maybe I need to look elsewhere?

Agreed, along with the entire credit card portfolio. It’s way more competitive and consumer oriented in the USA.

Another challenge is that it seems that the Visa benefits are country specific. EG: A Canadian Visa Infinite card will not get you into a Mexico City Visa Infinite Benefit lounges. Amex does not have this issue.

Every time I read more about the CSR, I know I should upgrade my CSP. For my travel and spending habits, it’s almost a no-brainer. Just the idea of having 3! 450 dollar fee cards in my wallet is difficult to wrap my brain around. Despite the fact that I logically know that they ALL will pay for themselves.

This is simply how the finance/credit card industry in the US works. That isn’t to say you couldn’t try to establish credit in the US, but most credit card issuers (including banks like Chase) require you to have a US Social Security Number to apply for a credit card.

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